President Donald Trump flexed his political muscle Tuesday night — and Republican voters in Indiana and Ohio delivered a loud message: crossing Trump in a GOP primary can still be politically fatal.
In Indiana, Trump’s revenge campaign against Republican state senators who helped derail a controversial congressional redistricting push last year turned into a near-total rout. Trump-backed challengers won five of six marquee races against incumbents tied to the rebellion against the president’s preferred map overhaul.
The results amounted to a dramatic reshaping of Indiana Republican politics and a warning shot to GOP officials nationwide contemplating breaks from Trump’s agenda.
“Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters,” Jim Banks said after the victories rolled in.
“Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters,” Banks added.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, who strongly backed the failed redistricting effort alongside Trump, celebrated what he called a “historic night.”
“[R]epublicans stood with me and President Trump to nominate some great America First conservatives,” Braun wrote on X. “I look forward to winning big in November and serving Hoosiers with this team in the statehouse!”
The margins were brutal for several longtime incumbents.
Trump-backed candidate Trevor De Vries demolished state Sen. Dan Dernulc in a 75%-24% landslide. Tracey Powell defeated state Sen. Jim Buck by a commanding 65%-35% margin. Brian Schmutzler and Michelle Davis each knocked off incumbent state senators by roughly 18 points.
One of the biggest upsets came when longtime Indiana state Sen. Travis Holdman — a member of Senate leadership who has served since 2008 — was defeated by Trump-backed challenger Blake Fiechter by a 61%-39% margin.
Only one major incumbent target, state Sen. Greg Goode, appeared to survive the MAGA wave after opposing the redistricting push. Another Trump-backed race remained too close to call late Tuesday night.
The campaign to remake the Indiana statehouse did not come cheap. Trump-aligned challengers and outside allies reportedly poured more than $10 million into the effort to punish Republicans viewed as obstacles to the president’s political agenda.
🚨 PRACTICALLY A CLEAN MAGA SWEEP IN INDIANA TONIGHT!
ANOTHER Trump-backed challenger, Brian Schmutzler, has DEFEATED RINO Sen. Linda Rogers, who pushed to BLOCK redistricting in Indiana
All but ONE Trump-backed challenger has UNSEATED RINO incumbents tonight! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0R4DbNy29L
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 6, 2026
The victories further cement Trump’s grip on Republican primary voters heading into the 2026 midterms, where loyalty to the president remains one of the most powerful forces in GOP politics.
Meanwhile in neighboring Ohio, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy cruised to victory in the Republican primary for governor, easily dispatching businessman Casey Putsch.
Ramaswamy entered the race as the overwhelming favorite after securing endorsements from President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, whose backing helped consolidate establishment and MAGA support behind the former presidential candidate.
The Ohio win marks another major political victory for Trump’s expanding bench of younger conservative allies, as the president continues shaping the next generation of Republican leadership from coast to coast.
For Republicans watching Tuesday’s results, the takeaway was impossible to miss: in today’s GOP, Trump’s endorsement is still political gold — and opposing him can still come with a steep price.
More over at The New York Post:
Trump-backed candidates take out GOP incumbents in Indiana, dominate Ohio primary in big night for president https://t.co/d1e859yUHS pic.twitter.com/8UwVskxcMf
— New York Post (@nypost) May 6, 2026
